U.S. patent application number 12/401789 was filed with the patent office on 2009-11-26 for electrodes or sensors encapsulating embodiment for wearable physiological information monitoring straps and garments and their construction methods.
Invention is credited to RAVINDRA WIJESIRIWARDANA.
Application Number | 20090292193 12/401789 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41342600 |
Filed Date | 2009-11-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090292193 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WIJESIRIWARDANA; RAVINDRA |
November 26, 2009 |
ELECTRODES OR SENSORS ENCAPSULATING EMBODIMENT FOR WEARABLE
PHYSIOLOGICAL INFORMATION MONITORING STRAPS AND GARMENTS AND THEIR
CONSTRUCTION METHODS
Abstract
The present invention describes physiological sensors embodiment
having a pressure ring around the sensors. The pressure ring
embodiment is compressible and stretchable and non shearable. One
or more electrode sensors embodiments are integrated to a
stretchable strap that can be worn by a person on the torso. This
system is capable of monitoring and measuring physiological
information of the wearer more accurately and reliably and
providing a comfortable to wear platform at the same time. Further
the sensors in the embodiment can be replaced by actuators and used
as an actuator embodiment with lesser motion artifacts.
Inventors: |
WIJESIRIWARDANA; RAVINDRA;
(Bentonville, AR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RAVINDRA WIJESIRIWARDANA
2001 LATROBE DRIVE APT 20
BENTONVILLE
AR
72712
US
|
Family ID: |
41342600 |
Appl. No.: |
12/401789 |
Filed: |
March 11, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61035852 |
Mar 12, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
600/388 ;
604/48 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 5/14552 20130101;
A61B 5/25 20210101; A61B 5/02416 20130101; A61B 5/282 20210101;
A61B 5/6831 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
600/388 ;
604/48 |
International
Class: |
A61B 5/04 20060101
A61B005/04; A61M 31/00 20060101 A61M031/00 |
Claims
1. A sensor embodiment or encapsulating device that can be
connected embedded on or in a stretchable material worn by a mammal
that comprises of at least one an electrically insulating ring that
compresses the skin of the wearer so that the skin inside the ring
lifts up and touches with the sensor elements of the embodiment
such that. (a) The sensors are connected or embedded the inside
surface of the embodiment encircled by the ring.
2. A device according to claim 1 where the sensors are an bio
potential electrodes, pulse oximetry or pulse plethysmography
(PPG/SpO.sub.2) sensors, thermal sensors, blood gas sensors or
chemical sensors.
3. An embodiment according to claim 1 having actuators instead of
the sensors inside surface of the embodiment that touches the skin
of the wearer.
4. The actuators in claim 4 comprise of heaters, electrodes or
trans epidermal drug delivery units.
5. Use of one or more sensor embodiments in claim 1 or measuring or
monitoring at least one physiological signal characteristics or
event of the wearer.
6. A device according to claim 1 where the embodiment sensors are
electrically connected with a signal or power caring cables
7. The embodiment according to claim 1 made out of materials that
are allowed to compress in the direction 006, bendable in the
direction 005 and not stretchable or not shearable along the
directions 010 and 011.
8. A device according to claim 1 where the construction can be
carried out via mechanically chemically or thermally connecting
layers or by using a mould.
9. A device according to claim 1 where the materials used in the
embodiment are being foam, rubber, plastic, polymeric, ceramic and
any combination of any of these.
10. A device according to claim 1 where the sensor is embedded or
integrated together with the stretchable material and then the
embodiment is put in either by using molding or layer construction
methods or combination of both approaches.
11. A device according to claim 1 where the device can be made by
using flexible materials such as polymeric materials and a
stiffener is used to get the required stiffness and mechanical
properties of the embodiment.
12. The sensor surface that touches the skin according to a device
in claim 1 having an electro conductive or thermal conductive
adhesive layer.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent
application Ser. No. 61/035,852, filed 2008 Mar. 12 by the present
inventor.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] Not Applicable
SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field
[0005] This application relates to bio-potential electrodes and
sensors based wearable physiological information monitoring straps
and garments.
[0006] 2. Prior Art
[0007] Wearable physiological information systems are made by
integrating a physiological sensor into the wearable devices
including straps, garments and wrist worn head worn devices. Even
though these systems have more than 100 years of history, one
common problem affects the performance of all these systems. That
is these systems fail to perform under most demanding situations
such as when a wearer's body undergoes motion
[0008] Several approaches have been made to overcome this in
wearable electrodes based straps and garments. One approach
discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,247 introduces electrodes with a
wave profile so that the electrode will connect to the body with a
pressure contacts. However this approach is limited since it exerts
high pressure points on the skin and also when a person sweats the
electrode slips and hence makes it unreliable in most applications.
Another approach in U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,943 describes the
application of backing material pads between the electrodes and the
straps so that the pressure can be applied on to the skin to keep
the electrode stable. In this approach again it is very
uncomfortable to wear and also when the motion level increases the
noise level increases and the accuracy of the readings is lowered.
Many variants of these two methods can be found in the literature.
Most of these systems are based on fabric straps and garments and
use for measuring heart rate with electrodes as the sensors.
[0009] The present invention introduces a new encapsulating unit
that consists of a ring around the sensor or the electrode so that
it holds the electrode in place not allowing the electrode to move
against the skin. Therefore the above limitations can be overcome
in the electrodes or sensors based physiological information
monitoring garments and straps.
[0010] The first part of the invention discusses an embodiment that
can be used to incorporate a physiological information monitoring
sensor such as an electrode, temperature sensor or a pressure and
displacement transducer, optical transducer (pulse plethyismography
(PPG)) hydration sensor. The embodiment is shown in the FIG. 1A. It
consists of an outer ring that pressed against the body surface
(electrically non conductive materials) of the wearer. This ring is
connected to the rest of the embodiment or extends from the same
embodiment that connects to the stretchable substrate. This
arrangement can be fabricated by using layers approach or by
extending the same materials of the substrate using any fabricating
method. The ring surface that pressed against the body may contain
micro or nano scale spikes, adhesive layer, any surface
morphological texture that improves the adhesion or the contact to
the skin of the wearer. The ring material may be compressible as
well.
[0011] Materials of the embodiment consists of stiff body that
would compress (006 direction) or bends (005 directions) and has
very little shear in the directions 010 and 011. This is to make
the inner surface of the embodiment or the sensor area that holds
the electrodes or the sensors contacted stably with the skin of the
wearer. This is achieved by using pressure on the two surfaces
(sensors and the skin) by the external stretchable strap or
garment.
DRAWINGS--FIGURES
[0012] FIG. 1A--The electrodes or sensors embodiment integrated
into the stretchable substrate.
[0013] FIG. 1B--Two electrodes or sensors embodiments integrated
into the stretchable substrate.
[0014] FIG. 2A--TOP VIEW of the electrodes or sensors
embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 2B--SIDE VIEW of the electrodes or sensors
embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 2C--CROSS SECTIONAL VIEW of the electrodes or sensors
embodiment that shows the skin contacts of the electrodes, sensors
and the ring.
[0017] FIG. 3A--ECG signal picked up from two electrode embodiments
based strap running at 9-10 mph running and sweaty condition
[0018] FIG. 3B--ECG signal picked up from a market leading
electrodes strap running at 9-10 mph running and sweaty
condition
[0019] FIG. 3C--Heart rate picked up from two electrode embodiments
based strap running at 9-10 mph running and sweaty condition
[0020] FIG. 3D--Heart rate picked up from a market leading
electrodes strap running at 9-10 mph running and sweaty
condition
DRAWINGS--REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0021] 001--Outer ring of the electrodes or sensors embodiment.
[0022] 002--Stretchable substrate. [0023] 003--Electrodes or
Sensors [0024] 004--Conductive pathways that carries the power
signal lines from and to of the sensors or the electrodes in the
embodiment. [0025] 005--Center axis [0026] 010--X axis direction
[0027] 011--Y axis direction [0028] 006--Z axis direction or the
direction of compress [0029] 007--Skin surface of a wearer [0030]
008--Sensor mount layer of the electrodes or sensors embodiment
[0031] 009--The body of a wearer
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG.
2C
[0032] FIG. 1A shows the electrodes or the sensors embodiment
connected to the stretchable substrate (002). The embodiment
consists of and outer ring (001) and sensors or electrodes in the
inside surface of the embodiment, so that they can touch and press
against the skin of a wearer upon wearing. The embodiment can be
attached to the stretchable substrate.
[0033] FIG. 1B shows two electrodes or sensors embodiments
integrated in to a stretchable wearable substrate. There can be
more than two electrodes or sensors embodiments on the substrate
depending on the application.
[0034] FIG. 2A shows the TOP VIEW of the electrodes or sensors
embodiment. The ring (001) in this figure has an oval shape.
However this shape could be a circle, a square or a rectangle.
[0035] FIG. 2B shows the SIDE VIEW of the electrodes or sensors
embodiment. That sows the conduction pathways (004) and the Z
direction (006). The whole embodiment is compressible in the Z
direction and stretchable in the X direction. However it is not
stretchable in the X direction.
[0036] FIG. 2C shows the CROSS SECTIONAL VIEW of the electrodes or
sensors embodiment. This shows the how the ring is pressed on to
the skin surface of the wearer. Also shows how the sensors or the
electrode are touching the skin.
OPERATION OF THE INVENTION
[0037] The sensors or the electrodes of the embodiment are in
contact with the skin. The outer ring of the embodiment presses
against the skin of the wearer and hence holds the embodiment
stationary against the skin. This is achieved by the pressure
between the contact surfaces. The embodiment is on the stretchable
substrate strap. When a person wears this strap it stretches and
this tensile force is transferred to the surface of the ring and
the senor surface makes the surfaces to press against the skin.
During motion the ring stops the vibrations to move into the sensor
area and hence reduce the motion artifacts effect. In addition this
arrangement makes the requirement of the applied pressure in order
to maintain the contact is minimized and hence providing the
comfort for the wearer. When a sensor unit capable of attaching to
skin is used the requirement of the pressure is further reduced.
The system is tested against the market leading fabric electrodes
straps and hard straps. The results are shown in the FIG. 3A, FIG.
3B, FIG. 3C and FIG. 3D. FIG. 3A shows the ECG signal picked up
from two electrode embodiments based (made according to the present
invention) strap at 9-10 mph running under sweaty condition. FIG.
3B shows an ECG signal picked up from the same person wearing a
market leading electrodes strap and running under the same
conditions. FIG. 3C shows the heart rate picked from two electrode
embodiments based strap at 9-10 mph running under sweaty condition.
FIG. 3D shows the heart rate picked up from the same person wearing
a market leading electrodes strap and running under the same
conditions. The percentage heart rate error is calculated by
dividing the number of error readings from the total number of
heart rate readings. 10-15% of error rate is observed with the
present invention and 80-90% of error rate is observed with market
leading monitors under same conditions. The present invention is
capable of minimum 4 to 5 times better performance under high
motion and sweaty conditions. It is clear from these results that
the present invention is a better performing system having better
accuracy, reliability and comfort level to wear.
* * * * *